Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they prepare to take on Hearts at Parkhead in their fifth match of the season.
The Hoops have enjoyed a perfect start to the 2024/25 campaign in the top-flight, winning all four of their games without conceding a single goal.
Brendan Rodgers’ side secured a convincing 3-0 win over local rivals Rangers in the first Old Firm clash of the season last time out, before the international break.
Despite the impressive and comfortable victory at Paradise, Reo Hatate is one player who could be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI for this clash with Steven Naismith’s side.
Reo Hatate's performance against Rangers
The Japan international was selected to start in the middle of the park alongside Callum McGregor and Paulo Bernardo and did not enjoy his best afternoon.
Out of possession, Hatate left a lot to be desired from his defensive work. The central midfielder lost three of his five duels on the ground and his only aerial contest, which shows that the opposition got the better of him more often than not.
Despite having 60 touches of the ball in a dominant win for Celtic, the 26-year-old whiz only created one chance for his teammates in 77 minutes on the pitch.
The Japanese ace also had a glorious chance to get himself on the scoresheet when the ball came to him, unmarked, at the back post in the first half but he blazed his shot well wide of the target, which represented a ‘big chance’ missed.
Luke McCowan, who joined from Dundee on deadline day, came on for Hatate for the final 13 minutes to make his debut against Rangers and should now be brought into the starting XI.
Why Luke McCowan should start
The Scottish maestro should be unleashed from the start after the Japan international struggled in the 3-0 win over Rangers, as he is a proven Premiership performer who should be ready to play straight away.
He does not need time to settle in and adapt to the league or country, due to his time with Dundee, and his performances over the last 13 months or so suggest that the midfielder could make an instant impact.
McCowan started this season with a return of two goals and one assist in three league matches before Celtic swooped in to sign him on a permanent deal.
Appearances
37
Goals
10
Assists
5
Big chances created
9
Key passes per game
1.6
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed attacking midfielder also enjoyed a superb 2023/24 campaign for Dundee, with 15 direct goal contributions from a midfield position.
The 26-year-old wizard, who was described as a “game winner” by Marvin Bartley last month, has proven that he can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premiership.
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1 ByDan Emery
This means that Rodgers should be able to rely upon him to come in and slot straight into the side as an excellent option to call upon, which is why he should get the nod after Hatate’s struggles last time out.
